City: Yeosu

Country: Republic of Korea

Province: South Jeolla Province

Introduction:

Yeosu is a city located on the southern coast of Korea in South Jeolla Province, Republic of Korea and comprised of the Old Yeosu City, Yeocheon City and Yeocheon County which were merged into the current Yeosu city in April 1, 1998, making it the second largest city in the Province. It is a harbor city with desirable sky, sea, mountains and beaches. The famous attraction, Phoenix Island, is a beautiful island with a 768-meter sea wall and 194 kinds of rare trees and rocks.

The city was listed as a World Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1996. There are many ancient cultural relics, historical buildings and monuments of the colonial times in Yeosu. The famous Jinnamgwan Hall was a guesthouse during the Joseon Dynasty, and is currently the largest remaining building with a single layer wood structure in Republic of Korea. It was the naval base of Jeolla-do Province during the Joseon Dynasty and is recognized as a holy land which saved the country. As a religious shrine with thousands of years’ history, Yeosu’s temples are also well-known, such as Heungguksa Temple, Chungminsa Temple and Hyangilam. The Heungguksa Temple has the country’s largest Buddha painting.

Date of establishmentof sister-city relations with Hangzhou: November 1, 1994